As Poslovni Dnevnik/Suzana Varosanec writes, Pannonian Croatia is a region of the country that has been extremely negatively affected by unemployment and poverty since long before the coronavirus crisis hit. It has also been dealt a very heavy blow in the demographic sense as a result of population decline and emigration, especially in smaller and more remote places.
As such, a very important document is being drafted that should reverse the negative trends we’ve become so used to hearing about, at least in the Croatian Government’s opinion. This is the Pannonian Croatia Industrial Transition Plan, and over the next six months it should see the light of day. Some highly ambitious goals and the development of the plan in the short term was announced by the Minister of Regional Development and EU Funds, Natasa Tramisak, after a recently held session attended by World Bank representatives and county prefects from eight counties of the Pannonian Croatian region.
The Pannonian Croatia Industrial Transition Plan is a pilot initiative of the aforementioned ministerial department which, as they have stated, aims to strengthen the competitiveness of the Pannonian region, through the creation of a strategic framework for the development of the regional economy. The plan focuses on five different priority industries. In addition to the agri-food, wood-processing, metal-processing and mechanical industries, the plan also includes information and communication technologies (ICT) and tourism, both of which are of enormous significance to the domestic economy.
“Pannonian Croatia has the potential to strengthen its level of regional competitiveness through attracting foreign investment, supporting the development of small and medium-sized enterprises and modernising production. This is an opportunity for us to make structural changes in the economy of Pannonian Croatia and to, as such, try to solve the problem of structural unemployment. By investing in research and development, the green and digital transition of the economy, the tourist valorisation of natural and cultural heritage, the development of smart skills, economic recovery and the balanced development of this region truly can be achieved,” said Tramisak.
According to that department, the goal is to encourage new investments in the private sector, increase employment and improve living conditions in this Croatian region, which makes up 40 percent of the total territory of Croatia and covers almost 1/3 of the nation’s total population. As many as 4 of the 10 largest Croatian cities are located in the Pannonian region.
“The goal of establishing the Coordination Council of Pannonian Croatia is to facilitate the cooperation of eight counties in their efforts to respond to the common needs of this region. By pooling resources together, they’ll be able to achieve greater development progress through joint activities,” they stated from the regional development department.
For all current coronavirus information specific to Croatia, including travel and border rules, as well as testing centres across the country, bookmark this page.
